Waking Life A Rubin and Ed Fanfiction
by Ranguvar27
Summary: Sequel-of sorts to the movie 'Rubin and Ed.' Rubin's mother advertises for a roommate, much to his chagrin. However, the young woman that answers the ad has a rather profound and life-changing affect on him. Written for Candy. M for later.
1. Chapter 1 Another Ultimatum

Waking Life

(A "Rubin & Ed" fanfic)

Chapter One: Another Ultimatum.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Rubin groaned in frustration and pulled the covers over his head, silently hoping that his meddlesome mother would get the hint and leave him alone. She had been banging on his door for a solid ten minutes, and showed no signs of letting up or leaving. He growled in anger, rolling over onto his back, and threw his arm across his face. 'Please go away, please go away, please go away.' He thought.

A sudden and blissful silence descended, and Rubin sighed in relief. But then-

"RUBIN OPEN THIS DOOR!" His mother screamed, and Rubin gave a strangled yell of anger.

"Fucking hell! Alright, Mother! Hold your horses!"

He climbed out of bed, fumbling for his glasses, and then stalked to the door, cursing under his breath. "Shit, shit, shit..." He wrenched his door open, staring balefully at his mother. "What?"

Mrs. Farr sailed past him into the apartment, and Rubin sighed in anger. She turned to him, and he felt himself fuming inwardly at the look on her face-one that he had seen far too often. The look of pity mixed with anger. "Rubin, we need to have a talk."

Rubin walked past her, clicking on the radio, and smiled softly as the rich sounds of Mahler filled the apartment. Mrs. Farr frowned, and then walked over to the radio, switching it off. "No music right now. I want you to listen to me!"

"Fine," Rubin grumbled. Mrs. Farr smiled.

"Rubin, you really need to get out of this apartment once in a while and start socializing with people your own age. You can't spend your entire life cooped up in here or sitting down by the pool!"

Rubin groaned. "I left the apartment seven months ago. Remember?"

"Yes, I remember, and why you ever allowed yourself to be kidnapped by that salesman I'll never know. But at least you got out of this place! Ever since though, it's as if you've decided to cut yourself off from the world completely! Sweetie, you can't live like a hermit."

Rubin rolled his eyes. "Yes I can."

"No, you can't."

"Yes I can!"

"Rubin, NO. Look, I'm your mother and I do love you, but this loner business is a bit unhealthy. You need to make friends. I'm putting out an ad for a roommate for you."

Rubin groaned in anger, collapsing onto the couch. "Mother…."

"There is no point in trying to argue with me. You are getting a roommate."

"I don't need a roommate!"

"Yes you do."

"No, I don't!"

"YES YOU DO!"

"NO! I! DON'T!"

"Rubin Farr, you are getting a roommate and that is final! I'm taking the advert out tomorrow."

Her ultimatum delivered, Mrs. Farr left the apartment. Rubin sat on the couch, fuming in anger, then gave a strangled cry and threw a couch pillow across the room. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

He didn't need a roommate. He didn't want a roommate. As far as he was concerned, he didn't need anyone.

Except Simon.

Rubin picked up the picture of him holding Simon, smiling. He still remembered the day he had found him. Rubin had been walking around the hotel, not thinking of anything in particular, when he had spotted a small, shivering bundle near the garbage cans. He had gone over, and inside a torn cardboard box was a tiny orange kitten, half frozen with the cold. Rubin had gently picked him up, and the kitten had looked up at him and given a small 'mew.' Rubin took him home, and from that moment on they were inseparable. Simon had become his best friend and confidant, and best of all-he never seemed to mind Rubin's strange quirks. They had truly understood one another.

But then….Rubin mentally shook himself. He did not want to think about that terrible day. He blinked back the tears that were blurring his vision, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand and sniffling loudly. He took a deep breath and gently wiped the dust off the picture frame, placing it reverently back on the table.

A wave of exhaustion suddenly came over him, and he headed into his bedroom, collapsing on the bed with a sigh. He reached for his blankets, pulled them over his head, and was instantly asleep.


	2. Chapter 2 A Change of Scenery

Waking Life

Chapter Two: A Change of Scenery

The bright, harsh sun slanted through the slits in the venetian blinds, piercing the left eye of the young woman that lay buried underneath the covers of a small twin bed. She groaned in agony, and pulled the covers over her head, only to be awoken seconds later by a sharp bang on the door.

"Danielle! Wake up!"

Danielle Morgan grumbled under her breath, and then spoke to the air. "Give me a moment, will you?"

Her roommate, a rather flighty young girl named Adina, pounded harder on the door, speaking in a whiny voice. "Danielle…."

"Oh for fuck's sake…Alright!" Danielle climbed out of bed, blinking at the harsh sunlight. She had come home late the night before-her boss had talked her into working at the bookstore until closing at midnight, and then she had gone out for a late dinner at her favorite all-night eatery.

When she arrived home, she had gotten an email from her World History teacher saying that her term paper, which counted for half her grade, was not due next week, but tomorrow, so she had spent all night finishing that. As a result, she had gotten maybe five hours of actual sleep, and now her ditz of a roommate was demanding she wake up at the ungodly hour of-Danni looked at her bedside clock-nine a.m.

She growled to herself, and then stumbled into the bathroom, gazing at herself in the mirror. She had dark brown hair and grey-green eyes. She stood about five feet ten inches, and people were always telling her she looked like Anne Hathaway. She didn't buy it.

She had no real social life to speak of-between a full time job at the local Barnes and Nobles and a full University schedule she didn't have time for one-and whenever she did get together with people(usually her roommate and her friends and their latest boyfriends) she always felt the odd one out. She wasn't socially awkward, but she had a slight streak of shyness to her. It didn't help matters that most of Adina's friends thought she was weird-not that she did anything to discourage the idea.

She splashed some water on her face, and then combed the rat's nest out of her hair, wincing when the comb got caught in a particularly bad snarl. Luckily, her hair was short enough that snarls, even bad ones, weren't too difficult to comb out.

Danni walked into the kitchen, giving Adina what she fervently hoped was a death glare. Adina grinned at her. "I was beginning to think you'd never wake up!"

Danni began to make her tea, and then glared at her. "Adina, I got to bed at four last night, after being run ragged all day long. Unlike you, I did not get a free ride to University, and I don't have Mummy and Daddy paying for everything. I have student loans to pay off."

Adina frowned. "Speaking of paying…Umm…I…"

Danni slammed the teapot down. "No. Don't say it. Don't say you forgot to pay your half of the rent again."

Adina averted her gaze, and Danni swore under her breath, slamming her hand on the countertop. "Damn it, Adina! The only thing you have to do and you forget to do it! This is the fifth time! I've had it. You are irresponsible, childish, and I have had it! I'll give you one week to find another roommate, and then I'm looking for another place."

She poured her tea, ignoring Adina's downcast expression, and then opened the paper to the Roommate Wanted Ads.

"Danielle?"

Danni sighed in exasperation. "What?"

"It's really not that big of a deal."

"Not that big of…? Adina, the first time you forgot I let slide because you said you didn't have the money yet. I even forgave the second time. But five times in a row? That's inexcusable. What the hell do you do with the money your parents send you anyway?"

"Well, I have to stay abreast of the latest fashions…"

Danni slowly lowered the paper, gaping at her in furious disbelief. "You spent the rent money on clothes? ! I don't fucking believe you! No, wait, I do. God, you are such an empty headed ditz!" She sighed, looking at the clock. "I have to get to class."

Her first class was English, and she hated it. Her teacher, Professor Stokes, was a fat, sweaty man with beady eyes who constantly leered and licked his lips at the female students. Danni stayed as far in the back as she could, trying not to draw too much attention to herself.

"Hey, weirdo! Got any plans for tonight?"

Danni glared at the person who had addressed her. Jack Dawson was the captain of the football team and a self-professed 'Ladies Man' who loved to brag about his latest conquests and insisted that no woman alive was able to resist his legendary charms.

Danni had laughed in his face.

She glared at him, and Jack grinned. "Oh wait, of course you don't. You're too much of a weirdo to ever have a normal life. You're going to stay home with a big heavy book, right?"

Danni rolled her eyes and turned back to her notebook, jotting down the points from Stokes' lecture that she knew would be important. She knew Jack never bothered to do any bit of work, and it irked her to know that no matter how poorly he did, he would still get a passing grade. "Leave me alone, Jack. I'm busy."

"Oooh, the weirdo is busy. What a shock."

Danni clenched her fist, deciding that the best course of action was to ignore the idiot jock.

Fortunately for her, he was only in her English class.

After school, and a frantic dash to the bus stop, she arrived at work. She had been working at the Barnes and Nobles for six months, and she loved it. Of course, there were some downsides-she wasn't too fond of working the café counter, and she had lousy hours-but the pay was good, she got along well enough with her co-workers, and best of all-she got an employee discount on all merchandise.

The other downside was that it took her nearly an hour to get home after work, and she wanted to find a place that was close to both her job and her school.

She was sitting in the café on her break when Helen, one of her co-workers, came up to her. Helen was a tall, slim woman in her late thirties, with lank blond hair and pale blue eyes. "Everything okay, hun?"

"Hmmm? Oh, yeah. I just had a tough day at school. Plus, I'm probably going to be moving out soon. I can't handle my roommate's irresponsibility any more."

Helen sat across from her, smiling in sympathy. "Any luck finding a new place?"

Danni sighed in frustration. "No. All the Roommate Wanted Ads are the same, and there's none that are close by here and the University."

Helen took the paper, scanning quickly. "Here's something. 'Roommate wanted. Non-smoker preferred. Inquire in person at 2356 Southwest Pinewood Drive and ask for Mrs. Farr.' That's two blocks down, and the bus stop is about a block down from there."

Danni read the ad, grinning. "You know, that just might work."


	3. Chapter 3 Meeting Rubin

Waking Life

Chapter Three: Meeting Rubin

Danni stared at the address she had written down, and then stared back at the hotel that was in front of her, and then back at the piece of paper in her hands. The addresses matched, but Danni was still a bit unsure. She took a breath and knocked on the door.

It was opened by a short woman in her late forties. "Yes?"

Danni gulped. "Mrs. Farr?" At the woman's confirming nod, Danni continued. "I…I'm here about the ad for a roommate?"

Mrs. Farr beamed, motioning her into the lobby of the hotel. "Come in, my dear."

Danni stepped into the cool lobby, looking around. The walls were painted a deep sea green, and some truly hideous artwork hung on the wall to the left of her. Danni, who had an appreciation for good art even though she couldn't draw to save her life, felt herself getting a headache from looking at it.

Mrs. Farr smiled at her. "You don't smoke, do you?"

"No Ma'am."

"Any boyfriends?"

Danni chuckled. "No. I go to work and school. I really don't have time for boyfriends."

Mrs. Farr nodded in approval. "Good. Now, you'll be sharing the apartment with my son Rubin. It's a two bedroom, with a half bath and kitchen. The rent will be $200 a month, and all utilities are included." She looked at Danni carefully. "Do you feel comfortable sharing an apartment with a man?"

Danni thought for a moment. Two hundred a month was the best deal she had ever heard. For that, she would share an apartment with a rhino. "I'm perfectly fine with that."

Mrs. Farr grinned. "Good. Come with me and I'll show you the apartment and introduce you to Rubin. I should warn you though, he's a little odd. He lost a close friend of his not too long ago, and he hasn't quite gotten over it."

She led Danni outside, past the pool, and up a flight of stairs, stopping at the apartment directly in front of them. Music could be heard through the door, and Danni smiled as she recognized the sounds of Mahler.

Mrs. Farr knocked on the door, speaking in a lightly happy tone. "Rubin! Open up!" There was no response from inside, and Mrs. Farr sighed, and then knocked louder. "Rubin! Your new roommate is here! Open this door!"

The Mahler got louder, and Mrs. Farr growled in exasperation, and then reached for her keys, unlocking the door. She turned to Danni. "Come on in, dear."

Danni stepped into the apartment, looking around. It was clean, with nice furniture. The walls were painted a light blue. A large stereo took up one wall, and Mahler was blasting from the speakers.

Directly in front of the speakers, dancing to the music and squeaking what appeared to be a rubber mouse, was a tall, slightly muscular young man with long brown hair, a green shirt, tight bell-bottoms, and large coke bottle glasses. He had on platform shoes, and as he marched around to the music Danni thought to herself that he looked rather handsome.

Mrs. Farr walked over to the stereo, switching it off, and Rubin glared at her. He hadn't yet noticed Danni. "What do you want?"

"Your new roommate is here, Rubin. Would you care to meet her?"

Rubin gazed at his mother like a deer in the headlights. "H…H…Her?"

Mrs. Farr frowned. "Yes, her! Rubin, don't tell me you're afraid of girls!"

"N…no, but…"

Danni decided to step in before anything else could happen. She walked over to Rubin and stuck her hand out. "Danielle Morgan, but everyone calls me Danni. I'm very pleased to meet you, Rubin."

He smiled shyly at her and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you too. You have pretty eyes."

Danni blushed. "Thank you." Rubin smiled back, a strange tingly feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"I hope we get along, Danni."

Danni smiled coyly at him, and the tingly feeling intensified. "I'm sure we'll get along splendidly." Rubin smiled.

"However, I do have some questions I want to ask you, if that's okay." He ignored the look of indignation on his mother's face.

Danni grinned. "That's perfectly okay, Rubin. Fire away."

Rubin gulped. "That's great. Ummm…what are your hours? I'm pretty nocturnal, so…"

"I have school from nine until four, then I work at the bookstore from five until they close. I'm a night owl by default."

Rubin smiled shyly. "Alright, umm…do you like Mahler?"

Danni grinned. "Love him."

Rubin felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He grinned at Danni, and then turned to his mother. "She'll do."

Mrs. Farr sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. Miss Morgan, your room is the one down the hall and to the right."

"Thanks. I'll probably need a few days to gather all my stuff, but I could be ready to move in by Thursday. Is that good?"

Mrs. Farr nodded. "That would be fine. Rent is due the last of each month."

Danni nodded. "Got it. Mrs. Farr, thank you for renting me the apartment." She looked over at Rubin, giving him a friendly smile. "Rubin, I look forward to getting to know you much better."

Rubin felt himself blush at her smile. "Uhh…I…itwasnicemeetingyou." He stepped backward, nearly stumbling over his own feet, and made a beeline for his bedroom. Danni gazed after him, slightly confused. They left the apartment, and she looked over at Mrs. Farr.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, you didn't. Rubin is just a little bit shy. Give him time, and I'm sure he'll come round."

"Alright. I'll see you Thursday, then."

After the two women had left, Rubin lay in his bed, staring at the large pin up poster that was tacked to the wall directly in front of him. He stared at it for a full ten minutes, then climbed out of bed and ripped it down.

He would much rather look at his new roommate.


	4. Chapter 4 Moving Day

Waking Life

Chapter Four: Moving Day.

Adina watched, pouting, as Danni packed up her sewing kit, sealing the box shut with a strip of masking tape. "But why do you have to move out?"

Danni rolled her eyes heavenward, praying for patience, and then spoke in a voice that bordered on angry calm. "As I told you last week, I am sick to death of your irresponsibility, and I need to be around actual adults. You are not in that category."

"But…" Adina whined, and Danni turned and glared at her.

"No buts, Adina. I gave you every chance to grow up, and you still act like the spoiled brat you were in high school. You've depended on me long enough. It's time you took some responsibility for your actions."

Adina flopped on the couch, heaving a dramatic sigh. "Fine! Just abandon me, like everyone else! You're not my friend anymore, Danielle!"

Danni gave her a look. "Aren't you a little too old for melodramatics?"

Adina crossed her arms, looking pointedly at the wall, and Danni sighed in exasperation. "Fine. Act sixteen. It's not going to change anything. I'm still moving out."

Adina ignored her, and Danni sighed. "Look, we've known each other since our Junior year. Doesn't that at least merit a good bye?"

Adina glared at her. "Good bye."

Danni decided not to push the issue any further. "Bye, Addie." She gathered up her stuff, and then took one final look at Adina. "Adina….come on…"

"Better hurry or you'll miss the bus, Danielle."

Danni bit back a curse, then turned around and walked out the door, slamming it behind her. She couldn't believe the selfishness of her friend. She'd always known Adina thought only of herself, but she never imagined that she would take Danni's moving out as a personal attack on her!

The bus pulled to a stop, and Danni clambered on, bags and all. The driver looked at her. "Going someplace?"

"The stop near the hotel, please."

The driver nodded. "Can do."

Rubin was bought out of a sound sleep by his mother yanking the door to his room open and shaking him. "Rubin! Get up and get this place presentable! Miss Morgan is moving in today and the place is an absolute pig sty!"

Rubin blinked his brain still fuzzy from sleep. "Whuh? I thought she had her own room." He had to admit to himself, though, the thought of Danni being in his room both thrilled and terrified him.

He hadn't had much luck with girls-most thought him a little too weird, and worst of all, he never knew just what to say to them. He'd try to be clever and end up looking like a babbling idiot in their eyes. And if the girl was as beautiful as Danni-he was lucky if he remembered his own name.

Mrs. Farr rolled her eyes. "Yes, she has her own room! But the rest of the apartment is a mess! Get it cleaned up right this…" she was interrupted by a knock on the apartment door. "Oh hell, that's likely her! Hurry up and get this place looking habitable! Up! Up! Up!"

She scurried out of the room and Rubin glared after her, then fumbled for his glasses, bringing the room into sharp focus. He heard his mother's greeting, then Danni's soft voice answering, and it suddenly occurred to him that he was completely naked under the covers. Worse, his mother had left his door open, and now he heard Danni's footsteps as she entered the apartment.

To say he panicked would be putting it mildly. Rubin bolted out of bed, grabbed his pants and pulled them on, frantically hoping that Danni was still in the hallway. He yanked his shirt on over his head and then walked casually out of his bedroom, smiling at Danni. "Hello."

Danni smirked at him, and Rubin felt himself blushing. "Must be hot in your room."

Rubin blinked at her. "Huh?"

"You're looking a bit flushed."

Rubin flushed even deeper. "Oh…uhh…no…not…not really. It's….I….Do you need any help with your things?" Having changed the subject, he waited for Danni's answer.

She smiled at him, and Rubin felt his heart speed up. "I'd love some. There's not too many boxes to carry."

Rubin smiled back. "Well, two can get the job done quicker."

"Indeed."

Danni went downstairs to start carrying up boxes, and Mrs. Farr gave her son an inquisitive look. "Rubin, is everything alright?"

Rubin gave her a practiced look of innocence mixed with exasperation. "Yes, Mother, everything is fine. You can leave now."

Mrs. Farr frowned in disbelief, but left without further commentary. Rubin sighed in relief then went downstairs to help Danni.

Danni set the box she was carrying down on her bed, looking around at her new sleeping quarters. The bedroom was a small one, with a queen sized bed that took up nearly half of the right wall. On the opposite side was a small desk with a soft, squashy looking chair in front of it. A small bureau was at the foot of the bed, and a closet was at the head.

Rubin came in and set his box next to hers. "I know it's a bit small, but I can promise you the bed is quite comfortable. Besides, what's a bed for if not to sleep?"

Danni giggled to herself. "It's a very lovely room, Rubin. I'll be able to sit on my bed and get some sewing done."

Rubin looked at her, surprised. "You sew?"

Danni nodded. "My mum taught me. I make nearly all my own clothes. You'd be surprised at how much money I save. So if you ever rip a shirt or lose a button, you can bring it to me and I'll get it patched up."

"I'll be sure to do that. Do you need help unpacking?"

"No, I can manage that on my own. Thanks though."

Rubin nodded, and then blurted out: "Do you like food?" He realized how stupid the question had sounded and clamped his mouth shut, wishing that the floor would open up and swallow him.

Danni grinned at him. "Yes, I've been known to eat it. Why, are you offering some?"

"Umm…well…I guess I am. I think I've got some eggs in the fridge." He blushed, looking down at his feet. "I haven't had a chance to go shopping yet."

Danni smiled. "Eggs would be fine."

"How would you like them?"

"Scrambled, please."

Rubin nodded and walked into the kitchen, hunting for the skillet. After a brief search, he found it, got the eggs and cheese out of the fridge, and then set about making himself and his new roommate a late breakfast.

Danni walked into the kitchen. "Those eggs smell good. Is that all you can cook?"

Rubin grinned. "No, I'm a fairly decent cook. How about you?"

Danni chuckled. "I'm no slouch either."

Rubin laughed. "I guess that means we'll be splitting the cooking. How does that sound?"

"Perfectly acceptable."

Rubin slid the eggs onto two plates, setting one in front of Danni. "There you are." He got his portion, and then looked over at Danni. "Would you mind if I put some music on?"

"No, not a bit."

Rubin switched on the stereo, smiling to himself as the strains of Mahler filled the apartment. He looked over at Danni, and was delighted by her reaction.

She had her eyes half shut, a peaceful smile on her face, and was swaying gently in time to the music, humming softly.

'This could be the start of something wonderful.' Rubin thought to himself.


	5. Chapter 5 Growing Closer

Waking Life

Chapter Five: Growing Closer

It had been two weeks since Danni moved in with Rubin, and they had already discovered an easy and friendly chemistry between them. They had established a routine-Danni would come home from school, tell Rubin all about her day, and then listen as he told about his. After, whoever had dinner duty would start cooking. Then they would eat, and after everything had been cleaned up, they would spend the rest of the evening talking, or simply sitting together listening to music.

If Danni had had a particularly rough day, either at work or school, or if Rubin had been in a fight with his mother, Rubin would subscribe what he called 'Mahler Therapy.' Said therapy consisted of turning the music on as loud as they could and dancing around the apartment, and it never failed to cheer Danni up immensely. She could still recall her first 'session'.

_She had stormed into the apartment, cursing a blue streak, and Rubin had gaped at her and asked what was wrong. She told him that she had had a terrible day at work. "Demanding, picky, bitchy customers, our dishwasher broke, the truck didn't come until nearly seven, and on top of it all our AC died. So I'm in a bit of a shitty mood right now." _

_Rubin grinned. "I know what those days are like. I've got just the thing to cheer you up." He turned the stereo on, and Danni had glared skeptically at him. _

"_Mahler?" _

_Rubin nodded, and then began marching around to the music. Danni watched, then shook her head in amusement and joined the dance. _

For Rubin's part, seeing her dance around had a rather profound effect on him. She would twirl around to the music, her hair flying behind her as she gracefully dodged the furniture, and he would watch her, thinking that he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

Danni would dance by herself for a few moments, then with a giggle, grab Rubin's hands and pull him to her, demanding that he dance with her, and he always did. Their dance sessions ended the same way-with them sitting together on the couch, exhausted but happy.

They could talk to each other for hours on end, about anything. Danni discovered very early on that Rubin had a weakness for chocolate chip cookies, and she would be sure to save some at work to bring home to him. The expression of sheer bliss on his face never failed to make her smile.

Danni sat on the couch, her legs drawn up underneath her, and sighed, staring at the clock. Rubin had gone grocery shopping, and she was getting bored sitting around the apartment. She briefly considered finding Mrs. Farr and trying to strike up a conversation, but she quickly squelched that idea. Danni never said anything out loud, but Mrs. Farr made her a little nervous.

She sighed, hauling herself up from the couch, and looked out the window, beaming when she noticed the pool. She ran into her room, quickly pulled on her bikini, and headed for the water.

She dove in, sighing happily as the cool water touched her bare skin, and swam the length of the pool, then flipped onto her back, floating.

She did one more lap, and then noticed Rubin heading her way. "Rubin!" She waved to get his attention.

Rubin turned at the sound of Danni calling his name and nearly dropped his groceries in shock. "Danni? What are you doing in there?"

She laughed, then swam to the edge and looked up at him. "Swimming, silly. Want to join me? The water feels really nice."

Trying his level best to look at her face and not her breasts, Rubin shook his head. "No. I…I don't like the pool. Besides, it's your turn to cook dinner tonight."

Danni shrugged. "Very well. Give me another five minutes?" Rubin nodded, and she beamed at him. "Thanks!"

Rubin went up to the apartment, put the groceries away, then sat on the couch, trying to focus his mind on something besides Danni's lithe, wet body.

He had nearly succeeded in his quest when the door opened and Danni walked in, dripping wet. Her bikini was a modest one, but it still showed quite a bit of skin. Rubin stared at her, his mouth dry and his heart pounding so loud he was sure she could hear it. 'Christ, she's absolutely gorgeous.'

Danni smiled contritely at him. "Umm…I forgot to bring a towel down with me. I'll clean up the puddles I make." She dashed into the bathroom, grabbed a towel off the rack, and then walked back out, drying her hair. "You should have joined me. It felt lovely."

Rubin shook his head. "I don't like the pool."

Danni cocked her head at him. "Why not? Can't you swim?"

Rubin gulped. "Yes, I can swim. That's not why I don't like the pool."

Danni sat next to him. "Then why don't you like it?"

Rubin spoke softly. "Because of Simon."

Danni blinked, confused. "Your cat?" Rubin nodded, blinking back tears. "What happened to him?"

Rubin spoke in a voice choked with suppressed tears. "He drowned in it."

Danni clamped her hands over her mouth, aghast. "Oh Rubin! How did…"

Rubin gulped, and then spoke. "One of the guests did it for a laugh. Jimmy Garrent or Garant. I never did get the last name. He made a water ski, and tied Simon to it, then threw him in the pool. I didn't really notice anything until Jimmy called my attention to...to...it…and I saw Simon in the pool, and he was so…still…and Jimmy was laughing at me. The fucking asshole killed my best and closest friend, and he laughed at me. Simon was…he was…he…" tears choked him.

Danni scooted closer to him, and without a word, wrapped her arms around him. Rubin's arms came up almost of their own volition, and he clung tightly to Danni, sobbing harder than he ever had in his life, harder than he had cried when he finally put Simon to rest.

After what seemed like hours, Rubin's sobs tapered down to quiet sniffles, and he felt completely drained and exhausted. He took a breath, smiling to himself at Danni's scent-she smelled of lilacs-then spoke in a tired voice. "Thank you, Danni."

"You're welcome."

Rubin held her, realizing that she had freely given him something he thought he would never receive-comfort.

And, he realized, he loved her for that.

_**Author's Note: I will be justifying the M rating in the next chapter, so Candy, be prepared. ;) **_


	6. Chapter 6 A Peep Show and More

Waking Life

Chapter Six: A Peep Show and More

_**Author's Note: Candy, here's the scene you've been waiting for. I hope you enjoy reading it. Also, I hope you don't mind if I condense the 'peep show' and the first sex scene together. Because really-you expect Danni to just *watch* that man? (I promise this story will have a scene where Danni "unpeels" Rubin.)**_

Danni tossed and turned in her bed, unable to sleep. It was a hot night, and even with the air conditioner running full blast, her room felt hot and oppressive. She had stripped down to a tee shirt and panties, and she was still hot. She decided that she was going to try and see if the living room was more comfortable.

She climbed out of bed and walked out to the living room, sighing in relief. It was much cooler out there, and she decided that she would be better off on the couch.

She was heading to the kitchen for a late night snack when she noticed that Rubin's light was still on. Wondering what he was doing up so late, she walked over to the door, blinking when she heard him moan as if in pain.

Concerned, she gently tried the knob. At the same moment, Rubin moaned louder, and Danni felt an insatiable curiosity. She didn't want to barge in, but at the same time she wanted to make sure that he was alright.

She bit her lip, looking at the door, and then grinned as she noticed that it didn't quite meet the jamb. There was a small space in between, and Danni realized that if she knelt down and put her eye up close to the hole, she would get a very good view of Rubin's room, especially his bed.

She knelt down, pressed her eye to the hole, and then blushed bright red at the sight before her.

Rubin was lying on top of the covers, completely naked. His eyes were half shut in ecstasy, and he was stroking himself with sure, even movements. Danni let her eyes travel from his slim, muscled chest to his long, strong legs, and then back up to….she felt herself trembling in sheer desire as she gazed at his erection, which was enormous.

Rubin moaned, his hands moving everywhere. "Danni…."

Danni shifted her legs, whimpering quietly as she felt a throbbing heat between her thighs. She was sure her panties were completely soaked by now, but she didn't care. The sight of Rubin had crowded out all other thoughts. Her knees were getting sore, but she ignored it, focusing all her attention on the rather decadent and delectable sight in front of her.

Rubin groaned again, drawing out her name in a long, sibilant sigh. "Ohhh….Danni…."

That did it. Danni stood up, her legs trembling, then slowly opened the door and stepped into the room. She shut the door firmly behind her, and Rubin turned, staring at her in wide eyed amazement. "Danni?" He blushed in embarrassment when he realized that she had most likely seen and heard everything. "Oh God, Danni, I…I…I..." he stopped, realizing that no explanation he gave her would be good enough. He only hoped she hadn't come into his room to kill him.

But then he saw the look of sheer desire and lust on her face, and any fear and doubt was overshadowed by an overwhelming urge to make her his.

She walked over to him, and he leaned up, capturing her mouth in a fierce, passionate kiss. Danni moaned, kissing him back equally as hard, running her hands up and down his chest with soft whimpers of longing. "Rubin…."

He moved aside so she could climb into bed with him, and then whimpered in joy as she moved so she was astride him. "Danni…god baby…."

"Rubin…touch me…" Danni moaned, and Rubin gulped.

'I have to be dreaming. Any moment now, I'll open my eyes and discover that I'm alone in here. This cannot be happening, not to me.'

Danni stared at him, a small smile on her face. "What's the matter?"

Rubin stroked her face. "Am I dreaming?"

Danni smiled softly. "No. This is real, love. I'm real, and I'm here, and I want you."

Rubin stared at her in happy shock. "You…you want me?" Danni nodded, and he gave a sigh of relief, then kissed her, wrapping his arms around her and stroking her spine. "I want you, Danni. I want you so damn badly."

"Take me…make love to me."

Rubin needed no second bidding. He slid his hands down to the bottom of her tee-shirt and grasped the material, slowly peeling it off.

Danni tossed her shirt aside, and Rubin felt himself grow hard at the sight of her firm breasts. Danni moaned as she felt him pressing against her already soaked panties, and then had to bite her lip to keep from screaming in sheer ecstasy when she felt his tongue gently flick across her right nipple.

"OH!"

Rubin repeated the action on her left nipple, and Danni groaned. "Oh…Rubin…"

He gently pushed her onto her back, and then kissed her breasts, sighing softly in pleasure. "You are so beautiful, Danni."

Danni whimpered, and Rubin chuckled quietly, and then looked up at her. "I've… umm… never done this before."

Danni smiled. "Me neither. Just…do what feels right."

Rubin kissed her. "Very well."

He slowly ran his tongue over her breasts, and then drew her left breast into his mouth, gently sucking. At the same time, he began to stroke and squeeze her right breast in a slow, steady rhythm.

Danni clenched the bed sheets, gasping. "Oh…that…feels…so…fucking…right…"

When Rubin switched his mouth and hand, Danni cried out, certain that she had never felt anything more wonderful in her entire life. The heat between her legs was becoming an inferno.

Rubin began to make his way down her body, kissing and sucking on her delectable flesh. This felt more right than anything ever had, and he wanted more. He gently parted her legs, and then kissed her inner thigh, and Danni spoke in a voice dark with lust.

"Rubin…"

He felt an overwhelming urge to taste her, and slowly peeled off her panties, inhaling her wonderful lilac scent. "God Danni…" He gently placed the tip of his tongue against her soaking wet slit, moaning quietly at the sweet taste of her. He licked her hesitatingly, and Danni yelped.

"Rubin…more…please…"

He licked her again, bolder this time, and Danni cried out in pleasure. "R…Ru…Rubin!"

Rubin proceeded to lavish her, much to Danni's delight. She grasped the sheets and undulated her hips, speaking in a voice dark with desire. "Oh my god… that feels so fucking wonderful...god Rubin….that tongue of yours….so….fucking…amazing…I…I.." All words and thought were driven from her when she felt his tongue on her swollen clit. All she could do was moan incoherently. He moved his tongue back and forth in tight, hard circles, and Danni gave a shout of pleasure as she felt her orgasm race through her, leaving her breathless and trembling like a leaf.

Rubin moved upwards, once more capturing Danni's mouth with his, then groaned as he felt her caress him. "Danni…"

"Rubin…will…will you fit inside me?"

He kissed her throat. "There's only one way to find out." He placed the tip of his erection against her entrance, and then slowly and gently began to push his way in, knowing instinctively what to do. "I love you, Danni."

Danni bit her lip to keep from crying as he slid into her. "It hurts…"

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No…just…push it in all the way…"

Rubin obeyed, breaking though her barrier in one swift thrust and Danni screamed in a combination of pain and pleasure. Instinct took over, and she began to move in time to Rubin's thrusts. The pain swiftly receded to be replaced by the most amazing and wonderful pleasure she had ever felt in her life.

Rubin had been unsure of whether or not he was doing the right thing, and now he knew that he was. The sheer feeling of unadulterated pleasure he was getting from being deep inside this gorgeous goddess beneath him was beyond anything he had ever experienced in his life. Not even Mahler had made him feel so blessedly euphoric. Then Danni said four words that made him feel as though he had died and gone to Heaven.

"I love you, Rubin."

Rubin felt his heart soar at her words. "I love you, Danni…I love you….you are my world…my gorgeous girl…my goddess…I…Ohhh….DANNI!" He roared her name to the Heavens as he came, and Danni followed moments later with her own loud cry.

"RUBIN!"

He moved so he was lying next to her, and she smiled softly at him, kissing him gently on the lips.

Rubin pulled her into his arms, sighing happily, and together they drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7 A Good Morning

Waking Life

Chapter Seven: A Good Morning

Rubin slowly opened his eyes, feeling more relaxed and happy than he could ever remember. He blinked the sleep from his eyes, and then smiled to himself at the sight of Danni curled up next to him. The lingering doubt and fear he had had that the night before had been nothing but a very intense and wonderful dream vanished. It had happened. This beautiful woman had freely given herself to him, body and soul, and he had done the same.

He gently ran his hand up and down Danni's arm, smiling as she murmured in satisfaction. "Mmmm…"

Danni opened her eyes, smiling softly at her lover. "Morning."

Rubin kissed her, sighing happily. "Morning. How'd you sleep last night?"

"Wonderfully, you?"

"The same. I was almost afraid to wake up, actually. I had this dreadful thought that everything had been a dream, and when I woke up I would discover that last night had never happened. But thankfully, it wasn't a dream."

Danni gazed seriously at him. "You aren't dreaming. This is real, and I'm real, and last night was wonderfully real." She blushed. "Umm…you're probably going to have to wash the sheets."

Rubin looked at her, confused. "Why?"

Danni gave him a look. "There's a bit of blood on them."

Rubin blinked. "Blood from…Oh!" He laughed, slightly embarrassed. "Right. Well, I'll take them down to the laundry later on."

Danni chuckled. "Good idea." She moaned, shifting herself, and Rubin gulped. Danni smiled at him. "I'm a bit sore. But I understand that's normal after a first time."

Rubin sighed in relief. "Oh good. I was afraid that maybe I had hurt you without knowing."

Danni grinned wickedly. "Well, at first, but once I got used to your rather impressive length, everything was immensely pleasurable."

Rubin grinned. "Really?"

Danni nodded, and then yelped in shock as Rubin pounced on her, kissing her soundly. "Immensely pleasurable, hmmm?"

Danni groaned as he gently nipped her throat. "Uh huh…."

"Well, I wonder if I can manage that feeling in you again…"

"I'm sure you…Oh fuck can you ever….Oh Christ Rubin! God baby!"

Rubin smirked at Danni in triumph. She rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at him. "You're incorrigible, Rubin."

"Thank you."

Danni smacked his arm, and then sighed. "I really don't want to go to school today. I've got no tests due, half my regular teachers are on vacation, sick, or both, and I've already done most of my term papers. I'm going to play hooky. Care to join me?"

"Sure, can we spend the day in bed?"

Danni giggled. "It's a very tempting thought, but no." Rubin pouted, and she laughed. "At least not this time. Actually, what I'd like to do is go to the park downtown. From what I hear, it's a really nice place, and not too crowded this time of year."

Rubin gave an exaggerated sigh. "Alright, we can go to the park. But I'd much rather just spend the day in bed with you."

Danni giggled and lightly smacked his chest, then slid out of bed, pulling on her panties and shirt. Rubin whimpered in dismay, and Danni grinned at him. "Would it make you feel better if I made breakfast?"

"Not really, but make it anyway?"

Danni laughed, kissing him. "Very well, babe. I'll make us breakfast." She disappeared into her room and Rubin lay back in bed, smiling.

His thoughts were interrupted when Danni threw a shirt and a pair of pants at him. He caught them, looking quizzically at her.

"Get up and help me with breakfast. I'll cook, you gather."

Rubin pulled his pants on, then slipped the shirt over his head, and fumbled for his glasses. "Sounds like a fair arrangement. What are we having?"

"I have no idea. We'll have to see what's in Mother Hubbard's cupboards."

Rubin frowned. "I went shopping last week, we must have something."

They went into the kitchen, discovering that they had enough eggs and batter to make a decent batch of pancakes.

Rubin switched on the stereo, grinning as he watched Danni's hips sway in time to the music. It took a great deal of his self control to keep from pouncing on her. He watched her move sinuously and sensually to the music, and blushed as he caught a glimpse of her teasing features. Damn her, she knew exactly the sort of effect she was having on him! "Minx." Danni smirked at him and continued swaying, humming to herself, and Rubin stood from the couch, ready to advance on her, when the apartment door burst open and Mrs. Farr came sailing in. Rubin stopped dead in his tracks, trying to look like he hadn't been completely surprised. "Mom! What are you doing in here?"

Danni immediately stopped swaying to Mahler, fixing Mrs. Farr with a puzzled look of her own. "Mrs. Farr, is everything okay?"

Mrs. Farr waved her hand. "Yes, yes, it's fine. I'm just here to collect the rent."

Danni relaxed, smiling. "It's over on the kitchen table. The yellow envelope that says rent on it. I paid for next month's, too. I'm going to be getting a promotion and better hours at work come next week."

Mrs. Farr picked up the envelope, not really listening. "That's nice, dear. Rubin, don't forget you have to turn the linen in the unoccupied rooms today."

Rubin groaned. "That will take all day!"

Mrs. Farr stared at him. "So? It's not as though you had plans."

Rubin glared at her. "As a matter of fact, I did. Danni and I were going to spend the day together."

"Well, then she can help you turn the linen. I don't ask much of you, Rubin, and since you refuse to find normal ways of occupying your time, I have to think of things for you to do. Why don't you ever get out, go to a club, or even a bar? You just sit in this place all day listening to that blasted Mahler. It's not healthy, Rubin."

Rubin rolled his eyes, having heard the same speech many, many times before. "I don't like crowds, I don't drink, and I like listening to Mahler. That's why Danni and I get along. That and she actually listens to me when I talk."

Mrs. Farr frowned. "That may be, but I still say you being cooped up all day is unhealthy."

"Well, Danni suggested we go to the park, so I wouldn't be cooped up."

Mrs. Farr sighed, then gave Rubin a long-suffering look and left the apartment without a word. Rubin sat at the table, his head in his hands. "God that…nothing I do is ever good enough. Seven months ago, she tells me to make a friend, and I end up going on the Road trip from hell with a salesman and end up at some stupid seminar about real estate."

Danni giggled. "Yeah, you told me about that. You disrupted things quite nicely with your claim to be King of…what was it?"

Rubin gave her his best regal stare. "The Echo People. I am the King of the Echo People."

Danni laughed, then walked over and slid onto his lap. "Hmmm, if you're the King, where's your crown?"

Rubin thought. "I never had one. The Echo People thought crowns were too showy. I had a hubcap instead."

Danni guffawed in laughter. "I can just imagine you wearing a hubcap for a crown!"

Rubin gave her a mock glare. "I'll have you know that I looked quite stylish and was also quite comfortable in it. So no mocking, okay?"

Danni sighed. "Very well, no mocking. I'm going to go cook the pancakes now. Then we can get started on the day."

Rubin sighed. "Yeah, a fun day of changing sheets."

Danni shrugged. "I'll help you. Two can make the work go quicker." Rubin smiled gratefully at her.

Danni turned out to be right, and by noon all the beds in the hotel had been turned. Rubin sighed in relief as the last room was finished, and then turned to Danni. "Thank you. If I had had to do this myself, it would have taken all day. Now, where do you want to go for lunch?"

"Samuel's."

Rubin grinned. "Samuel's it is."

Samuel's was a small sports bar a few blocks down the street from the hotel, the sort of place where you could get a good meal for less than twenty dollars. They had the usual fare, along with the absolute best peach pie that Danni had ever tasted. She had first discovered it when she started at Utah State. They did a good business on Fridays, and were a great favorite with the local college crowd.

After a very satisfying lunch, Rubin and Danni drove to the park. It was completely empty except for one or two joggers and an old man who was feeding the ducks on the pond.

They found a spot near the pond and sat, watching as the ducks quacked and fought over the crusts of bread. Danni snuggled up to Rubin, and he draped his arms over her. "Comfy?"

"Very, thank you. Penny for your thoughts?"

Rubin kissed the top of her head. "I was just thinking that this day is starting to look up."

"Funny, so was I."

_**Author's Note: I thought it would be a good idea to have a more sedate chapter after the last one-give Candy time to "cool off" some. *Ebil grin* **_


	8. Chapter 8 A Bad Day Made Good

Waking Life

Chapter Eight: A Bad Day Made Good.

Danni cursed to herself as she ran frantically for her next class. It was pouring down rain, and by the time she made it to the building across campus, she was soaked through. She stepped into the classroom, shivering as a blast of icy air hit her. The professor gave her a withering look, and she quietly made her way to her seat, aware that every single eye was upon her. She sunk into her seat, trying not to shiver too conspicuously.

Her day was not going well, she thought. And the damndest thing was, this morning she had been in a wonderful mood. She had woken up in Rubin's arms, sated and satisfied from the thoroughly enjoyable love making she had experienced the night before. He was already turning into an amazingly talented lover, and had made her gasp and moan several times over. But she too was able to make him squirm, and to his delight had done so several times. After love, they had simply laid in each others arms, talking quietly.

They had eaten breakfast, and then Danni had left for school. That was when things started to go downhill for her.

The first thing that happened was that she had turned in her term paper to Professor Stokes only to be told that she was going to have to re write it completely. When Danni had asked why, Stokes had told her that the paper had to be double-spaced. Danni gawped at him. "But…it doesn't say that anywhere! You only said it had to be five pages on a poem of my choice! You didn't say anything about double space!"

Stokes leered at her. "That's another thing. When I said poem of your choice, I did not mean for you to make a poem up! What is this 'Hunting of the Smark?' nonsense?"

Danni glared at him. "It's 'Snark', idiot, and it's a nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll. You know the guy that wrote 'Alice in Wonderland?' Ever hear of him?"

Stokes nodded. "I have, but I've never heard of this 'Snark' poem. But if you say it exists, who am I to argue? Just be prepared to take a failing grade."

Danni paled in anger. "What? ! That's fucking bullshit! It's a real poem! Why the Hell would I make up something like that?"

Stokes shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time my students tried that gambit. They're always found out in the end. Look, just admit you made it up and I'll give you a C minus. Take it or leave it."

Danni clenched her teeth in an effort to remain calm. "I…didn't…make…it…up."

Stokes sighed in resignation. "Very well, I will have no choice but to give you a failing grade on this paper. Of course, if you like you could come to my office later and we could discuss the matter a bit more. Perhaps we could reach a compromise that's agreeable to both of us."

Danni fought the urge to vomit. "No fucking way, Stokes. You want to fail me, go ahead. There's no way on this earth that I'm going to be alone with you in your office." She stepped back as he stood from his desk. "You come near me, I yell rape."

Stokes glared at her. "Get the hell out of my classroom, Miss Morgan! You are a worthless little cheat! OUT!"

Danni gathered her backpack, tears of rage and indignation in her eyes. She slowly made her way down the aisle, and someone stuck their foot out, sending her sprawling. The classroom erupted in laughter as she scrambled to her feet, blood trickling from one knee. She gathered herself and limped out of the room, followed by the laughter and jeers of her fellow classmates.

She had gone to the library and hid in the second row stacks, crying softly.

The second bad piece of luck came when she realized that she had fallen asleep in the library, and as a consequence she was now ten minutes late for History. She had gone pelting out of the library only to find that it was raining cats and dogs. To make things worse, the class building was on the other side of the campus, and she had no umbrella or raincoat.

Danni ran halfway across campus before realizing that she had left her backpack in the library. She ran back, grabbed it, and then ran back across campus, only to realize at the last minute that she had forgotten to zip it closed. Her books, folders, and papers were all completely soaked.

She fought the urge to burst into tears as she entered the History building, and made her way towards her class, hoping that the professor would let her turn her paper in at a later date.

She reached the class, and her bad luck continued. The door was locked. Biting back a curse, Danni pounded on the door until her knuckles were sore. Finally, someone opened it, and she slunk into class, soaking wet and shamefaced. "Sorry."

The professor, Rebecca Draven, had simply given her a look and gone back to lecturing. Danni flushed red with embarrassment and sunk lower in her seat.

During the break, she had gone up to Professor Draven and nervously informed her what had happened. To Danni's immense relief, she had granted Danni an extension on the paper. "Understand, Danielle, I am only doing this because you are one of my best students. But this is the only extension I can give. Your other papers must be turned in on time. Fair enough?"

Danni nodded in relief. "Yes Ma'am."

The rest of her school day was better, but then when Danni went to work things rapidly deteriorated.

To start off, the air conditioner at work had been repaired-and the store was a nice and cool sixty degrees. Danni, who was still slightly soggy from the rain, felt the beginnings of a headache. She was freezing, and as time passed her headache became worse, until it was a steady and dull thumping.

Then she had to work the café counter. She didn't like doing it on her good days, and on a day like this she absolutely hated it. But even then, things wouldn't have been so bad had the Customer from Hell not walked in.

This lovely person was a man in his mid thirties, with a severe crew cut and a blue suit. He was gabbing on a cell phone, and Danni watched in trepidation as he sauntered up the stairs.

There was a bit of a line, and the man started pacing back and forth, giving the people in front of him exasperated looks. They ignored him, and that only seemed to make him madder.

Danni fought the urge to slap him, and then turned her attention to the customers in front of her-a mother and her little boy of about five. Danni felt her throat clench-she got along well with children, but she could never have one of her own. The thought always made her feel a little sad. She smiled at the little boy, who was staring with wide eyed wonder at the many cakes, cookies, and other treats that were for sale. "I recommend the peanut butter brownie cheesecake. It's amazing."

The boy's eyes grew wide, and he looked at his mom. "I want that!"

"Very well, Thomas. One peanut butter brownie cheesecake, one blueberry scone, a chocolate milk, and orange pekoe tea, please."

Danni rang up the order. "$8.67, please."

The woman paid, and Danni got her what she had ordered. The next two customers ordered mochas. Then the Customer from Hell walked up to the counter.

He gave her a look of snooty superiority. "I want a cappuccino, with fresh milk, fresh cream, and I want it to be made from a brand new pot. I do not want what is in the pot now; I want a whole new pot."

Danni raised her eyes at him. "So…you want me to dump out perfectly good cappuccino and then make you a whole new pot? Sir, that's rather wasteful. It was made fresh not a half hour ago, I'm sure it's still hot."

The man glared at her. "I don't care, I demand a fresh pot!"

"Then make the goddamn cappuccino yourself! I'm not dumping the whole pot out because you ask me to!"

"How dare you talk back to me! Do you know who I am?"

Danni shrugged. "No, do you know who I am?"

The man snorted. "Why would I want to know the name of someone as insignificant as you? I'm a very important man in the world of business, whereas you are simply the help. Now, do I get my cappuccino or do I have to report you to your boss? I could have you fired, you know."

Danni fumed in anger. "Fine, I'll get you the bloody cappuccino. Would you like for me to bake you a fresh scone to go with it?"

The man waved his hand. "No, no, that won't be necessary, but thank you for offering."

It took every bit of control Danni had to keep from leaping over the counter and strangling the pompous asshole.

At long last, work was over, and she could go home.

She stumbled into the apartment, her head pounding like a brass band, her entire body aching. Rubin, who was in the kitchen, came out, smiling at her. "You look like you had a lousy day, love."

Danni sank onto the couch. "Lousy doesn't even begin to cover it. I think I just had the Day from Hell."

Rubin sat on the couch, pulling her into his arms. "Well, I'll do my best to make things better. First of all, why don't you go get a nice hot shower? Then after, we can go out for a nice romantic dinner. How's that sound?"

Danni smiled. "Perfect."

Danni stepped into the shower, sighing in relief as the hot water hit her, un kinking her back and shoulder muscles. She sighed in pleasure, her eyes shut against the spray. As a result, she didn't notice that she was no longer alone in the bathroom until she felt a large, solid body pressing up against her own.

She opened her eyes and grinned at Rubin. "And what, may I ask are you doing?"

He kissed her, and then moved down to her throat, licking the beads of water on her skin. "Making your day better." He pressed her against the wall of the shower, and then slid his hand down until it rested between her legs. Danni whimpered quietly as he began to gently stroke her, his long fingers moving all over her. "Rubin…." She yelped in pleasure as he slipped one finger inside her, then another, gently pressing against her clit. "God Rubin…"

Rubin nipped her throat, chuckling quietly. "Feel better, Danni?"

"Uh huh," Danni squeaked. Rubin smirked to himself, and then began to make his way downwards, speaking in a low voice.

"Good. I do so love making you feel good, baby….and of course, you feel so good to me anyway…you taste even better…"

Danni's last coherent thought was that her bad day had become infinitely better.

_**Note: Candy, I apologize for the fade-out. I promise, the next chapter will be full of smutty goodness. **_


	9. Chapter 9 A Wonderful Night

Waking Life

Chapter Nine: A Wonderful Night

_**Author's Note: Candy how's this for lovely smut?**_

Rubin knelt in front of Danni, sighing softly as the warm water from the shower ran down his back. He pressed the tip of his tongue against her soaking wet slit, grinning to himself as she bucked forward mindlessly, whimpering his name. He licked her slowly and teasingly, taking his time and Danni's whimpering turned into sobs of pleasure.

"Rubin…more…"

He gently parted her legs, and then licked her roughly, and Danni screamed in joy. Rubin reached up and gently but firmly held her waist, effectively pinning her to the wall of the shower. He then pressed his lips against her fiery wetness, plunging his tongue deep inside her, and Danni screamed once more.

"Oh fuck baby….god you…that…I…fuck Rubin baby….I…." words failed her, and she yelped and sobbed in pleasure as her lover continued to thoroughly devour her.

Then Rubin began to slowly stroke her with the tips of his fingers, and Danni saw stars. He slipped two fingers inside, moving them in tandem with his lips and tongue, and Danni felt herself trembling. She reached out and clung tightly to the shower curtain, sobbing in mindless pleasure as she felt her body spasm with the force of her orgasm. "Rubin…please…my legs are too weak to hold me up…"

Rubin swallowed her juices, gently licking up what his mouth had missed, then stood and pinned her to the wall. "Then I guess I'll have to hold you up." He lifted Danni's legs and hooked them around his waist, then plunged into her with an eager cry. "Oh Danni!"

He then set a merciless pace, pounding in and out of her with strong, even movements, and Danni whimpered, matching him move for move.

Rubin plunged his tongue into her mouth, kissing her roughly, and Danni clung to him, scratching his back in wild abandon. She kissed back equally as hard, nearly sucking his tongue out of its roots, and fisted her hands in his silky brown hair.

Rubin felt his climax building and began to slowly increase his movements, eager to be as deep inside Danni as he could. "God I love you Danni….you are so beautiful…so sensual….my gorgeous minx…my…my…DANNI!" He roared her name in ecstasy as he felt himself come.

Danni followed moments later with her own joyful cry, and together they sank down to the floor of the shower, their legs trembling. Rubin reached up and turned the water off, and they waited for some strength to come back in their legs. Rubin smiled softly at Danni. "Feel any better?"

"Infinitely."

After a few moments, they both stood up, exiting the shower. Rubin wrapped a towel around Danni, ruffling her hair, and then pulled her into another deep kiss. She moaned, kissing him back, then slid her hand downwards, gently stroking him, and Rubin moaned as he grew hard under her touch. "Danni…"

They made their way into Danni's bedroom, and Rubin kicked the door shut and steered her towards her bed. She felt her knees bump the mattress, and Rubin was about to push her down onto the bed when she shocked him by hooking her legs around his and tripping him so he landed on the mattress. He sat up, looking at her in curiosity.

Danni smiled wickedly then leaned forward and gently nipped his throat, speaking in a soft growl. "Mmmm…I need to thank you for making me feel so much better…."

Rubin watched in eager anticipation as she slid down to her knees in front of him. Danni smiled up at him, and then flicked the tip of her tongue across his tip, moaning softly to herself. Rubin shut his eyes, clutching the sheets in his fists. "Danni…"

Danni smirked, and then slowly licked him, running her tongue over his entire length. "You like this, baby? You like what I'm doing to you?"

Rubin moaned, attempting to form a coherent sentence. "God yes…"

Danni smiled, and then slowly drew him into her mouth, and Rubin felt fireworks go off in his head. He whimpered her name as he felt her lips and tongue working on him in the most mind numbingly wonderful manner. Then Danni reached up and scratched his thighs, and Rubin yelped, bucking forward. "Fuck Danni…oh god baby….that mouth of yours…fuck baby I….oh my Danni….my lovely lily girl….god I need to come…I can't…hold…Ohhhh….Danni….!"

Danni swallowed his seed, then released him, and Rubin fell back on the bed, panting. "God…that…"

Danni smirked. "It's not over yet, babe." She moved over him, and Rubin grasped her neck, pulling her down into a deep kiss. Danni groaned, and lowered herself onto his throbbing erection, moaning as she felt them connect.

Rubin grasped her hips, holding her firmly in place as he thrust upwards, eliciting a loud and joyful cry from Danni. He began moving strongly inside her, and she clutched his shoulders, gazing deeply into his eyes as she made her movements match his own. She felt her body start to tremble, and she came a few moments later, shouting his name to the Heavens, her head thrown back in ecstasy.

She collapsed on top of his chest, panting hard, and Rubin stroked her damp hair, breathless. "God Rubin that was…"

Rubin nodded. "Yeah…you…you still want to go out?"

Danni took a breath, and then nodded. "Yeah…but…give me a few moments to…recover my strength. Sound good?"

"Mmm…very good…"

Danni smiled softly at him.

A few moments later, they both felt that they would be able to stand up without collapsing. Danni slid out of bed and walked over to her dresser. Rubin propped himself up on his elbows and gave a low whistle of appreciation. "You've got quite the lovely arse, babe." He giggled as Danni gave a burlesque bump and grind. "Keep that up and I'll drag you back into this bed."

Danni smirked at him. "You'd better go get dressed, love."

Rubin gave a mock pout as Danni pulled on her panties. "Ruin my fun. Very well, I'll go get dressed." He climbed out of bed and walked towards his room, and Danni had to exert every ounce of willpower she had to not run after him. 'Damn that man of mine is gorgeous!'

She got dressed in a dark blue silk blouse and black pants, and then slipped on a pair of light green sandals. "Rubin! You ready yet?"

"Yeah."

She turned, gulping at the sight of him in lovely tight bellbottoms and a dark green shirt. She took a breath, focusing on his face rather than the rather lovely bulge in his trousers, and grinned at him. "Well, then let's go eat!"

Rubin offered her his arm and they left the apartment in search of a good dinner.

Danni smiled to herself. This was shaping up to be a wonderful night.


	10. Chapter 10 The Better Man

Waking Life

Chapter Ten: The Better Man

_**Author's Note: Candy, this chapter will be a bit more…sedate than the previous one, and will also contain a certain scene we've been talking about. Enjoy. **_

Rubin opened his eyes, smiling at the sight of Danni curled up next to him, her head resting on his chest and her dark hair framing her face. He gently brushed it back, softly stroking her cheek, and she murmured happily and opened her eyes. "Hey."

Danni smiled at him. "Hey yourself." She snuggled up closer to him, and Rubin wrapped his arms around her. "What time is it?"

Rubin glanced over at the clock on his bedside table. "Ummm….eight o clock. Why?"

Danni groaned. "Damn it! I've got an exam in History today at eight thirty. I need to get going!" She scrambled out of bed, quickly pulling on her clothes. "I'm sorry to run out like this, babe."

Rubin shrugged, grinning at her. "I'm not upset. Just make it up to me later, okay?" Danni grinned at him, then gave him a deep kiss and ran out of the apartment, yelling over her shoulder.

"I'll see you when I get home! Love you!"

Rubin chuckled. "Love you too, Danni!"

When she had gone, he lay in bed for a few more moments, gazing at the ceiling in thought. It had been four months since Danni had moved in with him, and he found himself more in love with her every day. She had that rare quality of being able to not only listen to a person, but to know when to offer words of advice or comfort, and when to simply say nothing. They had gotten into a few arguments, and there had been more than a few instances of slammed doors, but they always made up-and it was usually by mutual agreement.

Rubin fumbled for his glasses, and then climbed out of bed, pulling on his pants and shirt. He yawned, and then headed for the kitchen to fix himself breakfast. He had just gotten down a pan for eggs when his mother came bursting into the apartment. "Rubin! Come give me a hand! The Garants are here and they need help carrying their bags!"

Rubin froze, trembling in anger, then spun around and glared at her. "The Garants? As in the family that has the fuckhead son that drowned my cat? ! What the hell makes you think I'm going to help those shitheads with anything? !"

Mrs. Farr glared at him. "That will be enough of that attitude! Regardless of how you feel about them, they are good customers. Now, get your butt in gear and help them carry up their bags! Move it!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"NO."

"Rubin Farr…"

Rubin glared at her in determination. "Mother, you can stand there yelling at me until Doomsday. I am NOT going to lift a finger for the heartless bastard asshole that drowned my cat!"

Mrs. Farr fumed at him, and he merely gazed steadily back at her. "Fine! I'll help them myself!"

Rubin gave her a sarcastic smile. "You do that, Mother. Now if you'll excuse me, I was about to have breakfast."

Mrs. Farr nodded, and then gave an exaggerated sniff. "That's fine. Don't worry about my poor back or the fact that there's simply too much luggage for one old lady to carry, or that I'll probably have to walk up the steps not being able to see where I'm going, or that the suitcases are probably going to be too heavy for me, or…"

"ALRIGHT, I'LL HELP YOU! NOW WILL YOU PLEASE STOP HARPING AT ME? !"

Mrs. Farr immediately stopped whinging and grinned at him. "That's better. Come along."

Biting back a string of curses, Rubin followed her out the apartment.

The Garants were standing in the lobby, surrounded by suitcases and boxes. Mrs. Garant, a tall, thin woman in her late sixties with lank brown hair and a dull, vapid face, gave Rubin a withering glance. "Well, it's about time. We've been standing here for nearly fifteen minutes!"

Rubin plastered a fake, patronizing smile on his face. "I'm sorry, but I just woke up a few moments ago. Let me give you a hand with the bags."

He picked up a bag, and was heading for the Garants' room when Jimmy spoke up. "So weirdo, did you get another kitty cat yet?"

Rubin clenched his fists, trying to remain calm. "No."

Jimmy laughed. "Yeah? That's too bad; I was hoping that I could have a bit of fun with the new kitty."

Rubin stood stock still, trembling in rage. Luckily, his mother bought him out of his reverie.

"Rubin! Stop standing around like a ninny! You've got more bags to carry!"

Rubin rolled his eyes, but remained silent.

Once all the bags had been bought up to the room, Rubin turned to leave. Jimmy blocked his way, grinning at him. Rubin sighed. "Could you please get out of my way?"

Jimmy smiled magnanimously. "Of course, weirdo." He stepped aside, and Rubin walked past him, stopping at Jimmy's quiet "Meow." He clenched his fists, then took a deep breath and walked down the steps, determined to ignore Jimmy.

Danni sighed in relief as she set her pen down. The history exam had been tough, and a few times she had completely blanked out on answers. But she had studied, and was pretty confident that she would get a passing grade. Best of all, she didn't have another class until three o clock. "Ah, the wonders of Exam Week."

She turned in her test and answer booklet, then walked around campus for a bit, smiling as she recalled an email she had received the night before from the head of the English Department saying that she would be given a passing grade in her class due to 'gross prejudice and incompetence on the part of Gerard Stoker.' That had given her a deep sense of satisfaction.

Danni finished her walk, then on a whim decided to go home and see if Rubin was up for a little afternoon delight.

Rubin was lying on the couch, listening to his Mahler CD and drifting off to sleep when he heard the door to the apartment open. He groaned, and was about to rebuke his mother for interrupting his nap, when he realized that he hadn't heard her shouting his name. He opened his eyes, grinning in relief at Danni. "Hey baby. What are you doing here?"

She walked over to him, and he pulled her down onto the couch. She kissed him, grinning. "Well, I finished my exam, and my next one isn't until three, so I thought maybe I'd come home and make up for leaving so abruptly this morning."

Rubin smirked at her. "Do you want to make up in your room or mine?"

Danni thought for a moment, and then grinned. ""Yours."

"Mine it is."

They went into Rubin's room, and he kicked the door shut, steering Danni towards the bed.

Two hours later, an exhausted but happy Danni smiled up at Rubin. "Well…I'd say that more than makes up for this morning, don't you think?"

"Oh yeah. Makes up for what happened after you left, too."

"Why, what happened?"

Rubin sighed. "The Garants' arrived. They're just the same as always-pompous, stuck up assholes with inflated egos. That fucktard son of theirs hasn't changed-he's still the sadistic asshole he's always been. But, they come here every year, and Mother counts on their revenue. So I have to bite my tongue to keep from telling Jimmy how I truly feel about him."

Danni sighed. "That must be tough, especially after what he did to Simon." Rubin nodded, and Danni kissed his cheek. "Well, just remember that you are better than him."

Rubin nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

"Of course I am." Danni sighed, looking over at the clock. "I should get going. I'll see you later tonight. Oh, and it's your turn to cook dinner."

Rubin chuckled. "See you later. How's pot roast sound?"

Danni grinned. "Delish. Bye!" She gave him a quick kiss then left.

Rubin climbed out of bed and headed for the kitchen to start dinner. He and Danni were both good cooks, but there were certain meals they each excelled in. In Rubin's case, he made a wonderful pot roast. Danni could do wonders with chicken. And they both loved gourmet hamburgers.

As the day progressed, Rubin kept himself busy by listening to his music, fixing dinner, and performing the daily chores his mother set for him. He also had to endure the teasing of Jimmy, but did his level best to ignore the jibes. But then as he was taking the garbage to the dumpster, he happened upon something that made his blood boil. Jimmy was standing against the wall of the hotel, leering at Danni.

"Hey, baby, I haven't seen you around here before. You're one hot piece of ass. I bet you just smoke when you're all revved up."

Rubin rolled his eyes at Jimmy's lame pick up line. 'Asshole.'

Danni glared at the cretin in front of her, trying to speak in a calm voice. "Aren't you just the vilest asshole ever? Do yourself and the world a favor and crawl back under the slime-crusted rock that spawned you."

Jimmy grinned. "Aww, come on, hot stuff, you don't mean that. You and I could make some very beautiful music together. What do you say? I've got a bottle back at the apartment."

Danni stepped to the side, and Jimmy blocked her. "Get out of my way." She gasped in shock as he shoved her against the wall.

Jimmy leered at her. "You know, we don't have to go to the room. There's nobody around here. It's pretty private. Whaddaya say? Wanna have a quickie in the alley?"

Danni glared at him, her eyes bright with rage. "You lay one finger on me and I will scream bloody murder."

Jimmy chuckled nastily. "Go ahead, there's nobody around."

"HEY!"

Jimmy turned, grinning at Rubin. "Well, look who it is. The weirdo! Come to learn a few things, have you?"

Rubin stepped forward, glaring at him. "Take your hands off her. Now."

Jimmy scoffed. "And if I don't? What are you going to do about it, weirdo?"

Rubin smiled, then reared back one foot as if kicking a ball and let fly. His shoe, a heavy platform, came sailing across the alley, smacking into Jimmy's crotch with a solid 'thwack'.

Jimmy gave a screech of agony and collapsed into a fetal position, legs drawn up to his chest and sobbing harshly.

Rubin glared down at him. "Come near my Danni again and I'll break your arm. Is that clear?"

Jimmy moaned, unable to speak and Rubin grinned. "I'll take that to mean yes. You are a worthless, pathetic piece of shit, and I'm a better man then you could ever hope to be."

Jimmy whimpered, and Rubin grinned. "I'm sorry; I don't speak asshole loser language. Now, if you'll excuse us, I've got a roast in the oven. Danni, shall we?"

Danni grinned and looped her arm around Rubin's waist. "Sounds lovely, let's go!"

They left the alley, and Danni grinned at Rubin. "Thanks for coming to my rescue."

Rubin smiled. "Well, I wasn't about to let my girl get harassed by the King of the Assholes." He turned to her. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Making me a better man, but most of all, for loving me."


	11. Chapter 11 Confrontations and Confession

Waking Life

Chapter Eleven: Confrontations and Confessions.

Rubin was in the kitchen eating breakfast and getting ready to go out and do the week's shopping when he heard the door to the apartment open. He sighed, and then called a greeting. "Hello Mother!"

Mrs. Farr marched into the kitchen. "Rubin, I asked you last night to bring your dirty clothes to the laundry. Why didn't you?" She looked around. "And where is Miss Morgan?"

Rubin shrugged. "I got busy doing other things. I'll bring them down later, okay? Danni's taking a shower."

Mrs. Farr snorted. "I'll just get them myself, since I'm here already."

Rubin rolled his eyes. "That's fine, Mother. The clothes should be in the hamper."

Mrs. Farr smiled at him and went into the bedroom, picking up stray clothes and tossing them into the hamper. She was about to throw one of Rubin's shirts in the hamper when she noticed a small red scrap of fabric by the foot of the bed. She picked it up, and her eyes widened in shock when she realized she was holding a pair of lady's panties. They were twisted, as though they had been pulled off in a hurry. Mrs. Farr gawped at the panties, then turned and stomped back into the kitchen, glaring at Rubin. She brandished the panties at him. "What…are…these? !"

Rubin tried to slow the frantic pounding of his heart. "Ummm…well…they're not mine, if that's what you're asking."

Mrs. Farr rolled her eyes. "I didn't think they were yours, Rubin! What are Miss Morgan's underpants doing on the floor of your bedroom?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you sleeping with her?"

Rubin was about to tell her the truth when he caught a glimpse of her face, and realized that would be a good way to get Danni kicked out. So he gulped and shook his head. "We're just roommates, Mother. That's all."

"You expect me to buy that story? Her underwear was in your room! How did it get there?"

Rubin sighed. "Well, the hamper is in my room. Maybe she tossed them in there one night and missed."

Mrs. Farr glared at him. "They were at the foot of your bed, and they were inside out and twisted."

Rubin bit his lip. "Well…maybe she had trouble taking them off."

Mrs. Farr snorted. "Right and maybe she had help! Rubin, I thought you were smart. But for you to be taken in by that Jezebel is simply appalling! I know her type. She'll reel you in until you're hooked, plying you along with empty promises of love. Have you thought about what sort of diseases she could have? And what if you get her pregnant? I imagine that she has the number of the clinic on speed dial. Probably on a first name basis with all the doctors there. Where do you think you're going?"

Rubin walked out of the kitchen, trying to suppress his growing anger. "Mother, I told you, there is nothing going on between me and Danni. We're just roommates, that's all. No more, no less."

"I see. So if you're just roommates, then why are her panties in your room?"

Rubin spun around. "I told you. I don't know! Now will you please get off the subject?"

Mrs. Farr gazed at him, eyes wide. "You are sleeping with her! Aren't you? Don't you dare deny it!"

"He's not, Mrs. Farr." Danni stood in the doorway of the living room, gazing steadily at them, and Rubin felt his heart crack at the look of betrayal and calm on her face. "Rubin's not sleeping with me. We're just friends."

Mrs. Farr raised her eyes. "Then how did your underpants get in his room?"

Danni sighed. "I sometimes take a nap in his bed when I come home from school. My room is too warm in the afternoon. I walked home in the rain the other day, and I had to change out of my underpants. They got a bit twisted. I meant to throw them in the hamper, but I missed. So don't worry, this Jezebel hasn't corrupted your precious son." With those parting words, she turned and walked back to her room, slamming the door hard behind her. Rubin shut his eyes in shame as he heard her sobbing harshly.

Mrs. Farr sighed in relief. "Well, that's good to know. But Rubin, you be careful. A woman like that, she has more than one way of getting her claws into a man. You have to be on your guard with those types."

Rubin took a breath. "Mother, please…just….get out of here."

Mrs. Farr snorted. "I'm going, but remember what I said. Be careful she doesn't trap you in anything."

When she left, Rubin ran to Danni's room and knocked. "Danni? Baby, let me in." There was no answer, and Rubin gulped. "Please, I need to talk to you."

Danni opened the door, tears running down her face. "So talk." She gave a small sob. "After all, it's just a talk between roommates, right? No big deal. What do you want to talk about? Dinner plans? Lunch ideas? Would you like to know how my day's going so far? I'm glad you asked. Well, it was going fine up until a few moments ago, when I realized that my lover has decided that he doesn't want other people to know that he's screwing a Jezebel like me!"

She turned from him and collapsed onto the bed, sobbing. "I heard everything, you know. Why couldn't you have just told her the truth? ! What reason could you possibly have for not telling her? Are you ashamed of me? !"

Rubin gasped in shock. "No! God, no!"

"Then…then why didn't you say anything? You just kept denying it!"

Rubin gulped and sat next to her. "Because if I told her the truth, she would have kicked you out. That's why I lied, because I figured it was better to lie and have you angry with me than to tell the truth and run the risk of losing you for good." He faced her, gently cupping her face in his hands. "Danni, I am sorrier than you will ever imagine for hurting you. But I love you too much, and I can't bear the thought of losing you."

Danni blinked back her tears. "I'm not a Jezebel. I swear I was telling the truth when I told you that you were my first. And my only. And…I…I…" she gulped back a sob. "I can't get pregnant."

"Why not?"

Danni sighed. "When I was seventeen, I had to have a hysterectomy. I had…rather heavy monthlies. So you don't have to worry about me having your child…or anybody's child for that matter."

Rubin looked into her eyes, a slight smile on his face. "I'm not too fond of children, to be honest. And I don't think the world is ready for another Rubin Farr." He kissed her. "Besides, you are more than enough for me."

Danni smiled through her tears. "You do realize that you probably won't be able to keep fobbing your mother off with the 'just roommates' spiel, right? Sooner or later she's going to figure it out."

Rubin lay back on the bed, sighing. "I know, and I'm sure her suspicions weren't alleviated by my behavior this morning. A part of me wants her to keep thinking that for a long time, but another part of me wants her to know the truth. You'd think she'd be thrilled that her son has found someone that loves him." He looked over at Danni. "She doesn't hate you, you know. She's just…set in her ways, and as much as she harps on me to get out and make friends and have a life, she'd probably fall apart if she didn't have me around. I'm the one staple in her life. I have been since Dad died."

Danni moved so she was lying next to him, her head on his chest. "When did your Dad die?"

Rubin sighed. "When I was eighteen. He'd been battling cancer for nearly five years, and he died two months after I graduated high school. He was the one that instilled the love of Mahler in me. He was a professor of music at the local college, and he'd play that piece every night when he graded his student's papers. He told me that 'music is the food of life.'"

Danni smiled. "He sounds like a wonderful man."

Rubin nodded. "Yeah, he was." He sighed. "Mom took his death pretty hard. Ever since, she's been distant towards me, and disapproving of how I live my life."

Danni propped herself up on her elbows and kissed him. "Well, you'll get a chance to prove her wrong one of these days. Now, you need to spend some time apologizing to me for hurting my feelings."

Rubin grinned and flipped her onto her back, kissing her deeply. "Yes, love."

A few hours later, Rubin left a sleeping Danni and walked into the lobby of the hotel, smiling at his mother. "You were right."

"About what?"

Rubin grinned. "Danni. I am with her, I will continue to be with her, and if you throw her out I'm leaving as well. She's a wonderful woman, and I love her. She's not a Jezebel, or a whore, or anything like that." He smiled softly at his mother. "She loves me, and I love her. She makes me happier than I've ever been in my life, and she will never stray."

Mrs. Farr sighed. "And how do you know that?"

Rubin's voice was determined. "Because I know my Danni."

Mrs. Farr thought for a moment, and then sighed. "Very well. I'm not going to lie and say I'm entirely happy about this, but you know your own mind. I hope you're happy with her. But I'm still going to worry about you."

Rubin smiled. "You wouldn't be my mother if you didn't. Oh, and that reminds me-could you maybe start knocking before you barge into the apartment?"

"I suppose I had better."

Rubin grinned in relief. "Thanks, Mom."

He left for the apartment, smiling to himself. The talk had gone better than he expected.

But, he decided, he was going to look into getting the locks changed.

Just in case.

_**Note to Candy: I hope you like the way I handled the confrontation, and I hope you don't mind that I had Rubin tell Danni why his mom was so worried, and also that he told his mom the truth. But I think now that she does know, she won't worry about him finding a girlfriend. Also, I hope you like the small back story I had for why Mr. Farr wasn't in the picture. **_


	12. Chapter 12 A Late Night Swim

Waking Life

Chapter Twelve: A Late Night Swim

_**Note: Candy, you should be sedate enough, I hope-cause here comes more X-rated goodness. **_

Rubin sighed, sprawled out on the couch, and looked at the clock, a smile on his face. Danni would be home from work soon, and he was looking forward to seeing her. His mother had grudgingly come to accept that her son was no longer a little boy, and had even invited Danni and him for dinner one night. But, Rubin thought with a slight sigh, Mrs. Farr had been nearly apoplectic when she found out that Rubin had changed the locks in the apartment.

That had been two weeks ago, and ever since Mrs. Farr had been wheedling at him to change the locks again, saying that it was for his own good. Rubin, much to Danni's silent and immense relief, was steadfast in his refusal, and Mrs. Farr was starting to wind down.

Rubin lifted his head at the sound of a key in the lock, and grinned at Danni as she came in. "Hey beautiful. How was work?"

Danni moaned. "Long, tedious, busy. In other words, it was fine." She walked over to the couch, sitting next to him, and he sat up and pulled her into a long kiss.

"Well, I'm glad you're finally home. It gets pretty lonely here without you."

Danni smiled. "Yeah?" Rubin nodded, and kept kissing her.

"Yeah. You see, I lie here on this couch, imagining all the lovely things my extremely talented lover could be doing to me if she were here, and then that makes me think of all the things I want to do to her, and about how she just looks so incredibly amazing when she's writhing underneath me, and how good it feels to have her mouth on my body, and the quite frankly fucking amazing things she can do with that tongue of hers, and well….I get a bit worked up at the ideas…" he took Danni's hand, placing it on his crotch, and she moaned, stroking him through the fabric. Rubin growled softly, eyes half shut. "God Danni….you make me so fucking horny, baby…"

Danni groaned, and Rubin pulled her onto his lap, kissing her deeply and slipping his hands up the back of her shirt. "So….my room or yours?"

Danni grinned wickedly at him, then much to Rubin's shock and surprise stood from the couch and disappeared into her room, firmly shutting the door behind her. Before he could start panicking, the door opened again, and she stepped put wearing a bikini that left very little to the imagination. It was a deep wine-red color, and Danni's breasts strained at the material.

Rubin gawped at her, his mouth dry and his entire lower body throbbing and Danni posed in the doorway of the living room, her legs crossed demurely. "Like my new bathing suit?"

"Uhhh….."

Danni laughed. "I'll take that as a yes." She walked over to the couch, and tugged Rubin's hand. "Come on, I want to go swimming."

Rubin frowned at her. "But I don't swim."

Danni sighed. "Very well. You can stay here in the apartment and imagine me in the pool, the water making my suit cling to my lovely curves, wondering what it would be like to push me up against the pool wall and lick the beads of water off my throat and breasts, then maybe going down a bit…lower. And you'll wonder how long it would take for me to have those lovely tight pants of yours off once we got into the water…and…"

Rubin gave a low moan of surrender and stood from the couch.

When they reached the pool, Danni dove in, shooting to the surface with a smile. "The water's fine, babe. Come in."

Still slightly unsure, Rubin shed his shirt then set his glasses aside and stepped into the pool, swimming over to where Danni stood. He gulped quietly. "God baby, you look….ravishing."

Danni hooked her arms around his neck and yanked him down into a deep kiss, brushing her tongue across his lips in a silent question. Rubin moaned, opening his mouth, and at the same time slid his hands down to cup Danni's arse, pulling her tight against him, and Danni groaned as she felt the rising heat between her legs.

Rubin moved his lips to her throat, biting and sucking, and Danni arched her neck and gasped his name. "God Rubin!"

Rubin slowly licked her throat, and then spoke in a low, dark voice. "So, let's see how long it takes for you to get me out of my pants."

Danni smirked, and in two swift movements had his pants undone and was feverishly tugging them down. Rubin helped, kicking them off once they were around his ankles, then tossed them onto the pool deck and pressed himself firmly against Danni. "Touch me, baby…"

Danni complied, stroking his entire length, moaning. Rubin groaned. "More, baby. Give me more." Danni increased her movements, wrapping her hand around him, and Rubin growled softly. "Oh Danni…" he bent his head and slowly licked her breasts through the wet fabric of her suit, then slid his hand up her back, untying her bra. "God Danni…"

He moaned softly to himself at the lovely sight of his lover's perfect breasts, then bent and slowly lapped up the water that had gathered on her nipples, smirking at Danni's whimper of joy. He drew her left breast into his mouth, sucking, and Danni gave a short cry.

"Rubin!"

He slid his hand under the water and began to stroke her leg, slowly inching upwards, and Danni gasped and growled in incoherent pleasure. When he reached her thigh, he began stroking her all over. He could practically feel the heat rolling off her in waves, but he teased her, ghosting the tips of his fingers across her bikini, and Danni groaned in mindless frustration.

"Rubin…please…"

Rubin chuckled. "Please? Please what, baby? What do you want me to do?"

Danni whimpered as she felt his fingers brush her bikini. Her entire lower body was trembling in arousal, and she had never been hornier in her entire life. "Rubin….please….touch…"

"I thought I was touching you. Or did you mean like…this?" He pushed her bikini to the side and brushed the tips of his fingers across her center, and Danni groaned mindlessly. Rubin smirked, and then began stroking her, his fingers roving everywhere, and Danni growled and gasped in mindless arousal. Then Rubin slid his finger inside, brushing against her clit, and she had to bite her lip hard to keep from screaming in ecstasy. "Ohhh….my….god!"

Rubin moaned, and then lifted Danni onto the ledge that ran around the pool, gently parting her legs. Danni knew what was coming, and clamped her mouth shut, not wanting her screams to be heard.

Rubin gave her a devil grin then untied her bikini, tossing it onto the deck. He knelt down and gripped her thighs, then slowly licked her, moving his tongue in tight, hard circles on her swollen clit.

Danni clenched his shoulders and whimpered, concentrating as hard as she could on not making a sound. Rubin licked her again, and then gently exhaled on to her throbbing wet center, and Danni groaned, biting her lip.

But then Rubin pressed his lips against her center, sliding his tongue deep inside her, and Danni abandoned her futile efforts to be quiet.

"Ohh…fuck Rubin baby…..devour me….god that feels so fucking good….god the things you can do with that tongue of yours…ohhhh….goooddd….oh baby…Oh. My. GOD!" She screamed in ecstasy as her entire body trembled with the force of her orgasms. "God baby you make me come so hard…."

Rubin licked his lips, and then stood, pressing against Danni. "Put me inside you and I'll make you come even harder."

Danni eagerly obeyed, groaning in pleasure as she felt him enter her, her body molding to his size and length. Rubin kissed her roughly, then began to thrust, his movements slow but strong, and Danni hooked her legs around his waist and matched his movements.

Rubin groaned, then gently nipped Danni's throat, speaking in a low growl. "I want you to come hard for me, baby. I want to feel your delectable body tremble. I want you to shout my name when you come." He increased his movements, his voice coming in short growls and gasps. "God Danni I love you….I love the way you feel in my arms…I love the sounds you make when I touch you…I love the way you say my name…you are my lovely lilac girl….my minx…my goddess…my…Danni!"

"Love you Rubin…I love you…I love you…my Rubin….I love being in your arms…love it when you touch me…when you kiss me….love you…love you…my…my…Rubin!" Danni shouted his name as she came; her body trembling like a live wire.

After they had made it back to the apartment, dried off, and climbed into bed, Rubin turned to Danni, and then softly kissed her forehead. "Thank you for giving me a better memory of the pool."

Danni smiled, and then kissed him. "You're very welcome."


	13. Chapter 13 A Gift and a Proposal

Waking Life

Chapter Thirteen: A Gift and a Proposal

_**Candy: This is going to be the last chapter. I hope that you enjoyed my tale. *Hugs.* **_

Rubin pulled up in front of the large brick building, a small smile on his face. He and Danni had been together for six months now, and he had decided that he was going to buy her an extra special Anniversary present.

He stepped into the building, and a woman in her late fifties spotted him and walked over, a smile on her face. "How can I help you, Sir?"

"I'm looking for a present for my girlfriend. Tonight's our anniversary, and I want to surprise her. Would you mind if I looked around?"

The woman smiled and shook her head, and Rubin walked up and down the room, then stopped and pointed. "I want this one. It's absolutely perfect for my Danni."

The woman grinned. "Excellent choice, sir. If you'll come this way I'll draw up a receipt and give you the papers."

Rubin paid for his first gift, and then drove to a jewelry store. He entered, slightly nervous, and gazed in wonder at the many beautiful rings, some of them quite ostentatious. Then he spotted one that was perfect. It was a band of gold, with a small green stone set above. Rubin knew right away that it was quintessentially Danni.

The jeweler, a small man in his sixties with a bushy white mustache, came forward, smiling. "Have you found a piece to your liking?"

Rubin nodded and pointed to the ring. "That one, please."

The jeweler smiled, showing pearly yellow dentures. "An excellent choice."

The second part of his plan finished, Rubin headed home to wait for Danni.

Danni gazed at the clock, wishing that time would go faster. Rubin had told her that morning when she left for school that he would have a special gift for her to celebrate their Anniversary. Danni had tried to find out what it was he was going to get her, but he had merely smiled, shook his head and promised her that she would love it. So she had spent the entire day wondering what she was getting, growing more and more aquiver with curiosity as the day passed.

When she came home from school, she had found a note taped to the apartment door.

'_Have gone to buy you your presents. Will be back by seven o clock at the latest. I love you. _

_Rubin.' _

Danni sighed, then entered the apartment and sat on the couch, waiting for seven o clock. She stretched out; shutting her eyes, and fell asleep.

Rubin entered the apartment, a large box cradled in his arms, and smiled at the sight of Danni sleeping on the couch. He walked over to her, and bending down, gently nudged her foot. "Wake up, gorgeous."

Danni opened her eyes and beamed at him. "Hey babe. What's in the box?"

Rubin grinned. "Your present. Well, one of them at least. Sit up so I can give it to you." Danni sat up. "Good girl. Shut your eyes." Danni gave him a look, and he grinned. "Shut them."

Danni sighed, shutting her eyes, and Rubin placed the box in her lap. "Can I open my eyes yet?"

Rubin grinned. "Yeah."

Danni opened her eyes, looked into the box, and gave a shriek of delight.

Nestled inside the box, its large blue eyes gazing at Danni in curiosity, was a beautiful and fluffy calico kitten. Its fur was patterned in brown, black, and orange, and as Danni gazed at it in speechless wonder the kitten blinked once, yawned, and gave a curious 'meow.' Danni gently stroked the kitten's head, and it purred, rubbing up against her fingers, its eyes shut in delight.

Danni finally found her voice. "Rubin, she's beautiful!" She looked at the kitten, speaking in a soft voice. "You are just the most precious and beautiful little thing I've ever seen!" She scratched the kitten's ears, and the kitten purred louder, eyes shut in feline rapture.

Rubin sat next to Danni and gently tickled the kitten under the chin. It purred louder, stretching, and Rubin chuckled quietly and continued scratching. "How do you know this is a she?"

Danni smiled. "Calicos are nearly always girls. Boys are very rare, and if they are born they almost always have some sort of genetic defect." She smiled at the look on Rubin's face. "I grew up on a farm, we had lots of cats. They weren't all ours, but we had them."

Rubin's eyes widened in understanding. "Ah, gotcha. So, what do you want to call this little fur ball?"

Danni gave him a look of mock anger. "She is not a little fur ball! She is a little pouf ball." She reached into the box and picked up the kitten, holding her close. "We should call her Emma."

Rubin looked at her in curiosity. "Why Emma?"

Danni grinned. "Well, she looks like an Emma."

Rubin looked at the kitten, who stared back at him, wide eyed with curiosity. "What do you think of that name?"

The kitten blinked, and then gave her answer. "Meow."

Danni laughed. "There! She said yes! Hello Emma."

The kitten-now named Emma-purred loudly and kneaded her paws in Danni's lap. Rubin chuckled.

"I think she likes you. I wonder if she'll like Mahler."

Danni shrugged. "Turn it on, see what happens."

Rubin crossed over to the stereo, switching it on, and the apartment was filled with the sounds of Mahler. He looked over at Emma, and grinned widely.

The kitten's eyes were shut, and she was purring, her tail swishing in time to the music. Danni looked down at her and laughed. "I think she likes it." Emma opened her eyes and mewed happily.

Rubin sat on the couch, waggling his fingers towards Emma. She stared at them, and then reached out a tiny paw, batting at the strange things in front of her face. "Mew?" Rubin and Danni giggled, and Emma continued to bat at Rubin's fingers, her eyes wide in curiosity.

Danni stroked her, and Emma arched her back, purring. "What was the other present?"

Rubin grinned. "That you'll get after dinner. I believe it's my turn to cook, correct?" Danni nodded. "Thought so. You can put Emma down, there's nothing in here that can hurt her."

Danni set Emma on the floor, and she immediately began to explore the apartment, looking into every nook and cranny. Then-she found Simon's rubber mouse. She stared at it, her tail swishing slowly back and forth, back and forth, and a low growl in her throat. She inched closer, nudging the mouse with her front paw, and then pounced on the mouse, rolled onto her back and gnawed on the mouse's ears. She tossed the mouse up in the air, and ran to where it landed; meowing in what she thought was a tough, scary voice.

Rubin and Danni were nearly breathless with laughter.

Rubin finally managed to get himself under control and headed into the kitchen to make dinner. Emma jumped back onto the couch and into Danni's lap, the mouse in her mouth. She set the mouse down, giving Danni a look that clearly asked-"Aren't you proud of me?"

Danni chuckled and scratched her ears. "The bold hunter at work." Emma mewed in agreement, then curled up in Danni's lap and was promptly asleep.

Rubin got the roast going, and then came out to the living room, chuckling at the sight. "I think she likes you."

Danni smiled. "Yeah, I think so. I feel so bad-I'm going to have to make her move when it's dinner time."

Rubin chuckled. "Well, that won't be for another half hour at least. So I hope you're comfy. She certainly is."

Danni smiled. "Well, she's little, so it's not too bad. From what you told me about Simon, he was a big boy."

Rubin nodded. "Yeah. He could eat an entire watermelon." He sighed. "Simon was a good cat. I'm sure Emma will be too."

Danni leaned against him, and he draped his arm over her, kissing the side of her head. "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

Danni nodded. "You have, but I always love hearing it."

Rubin turned her head towards him, softly kissing her. "I love you, Danielle." He smiled. "My beautiful Danni." He deepened the kiss, stroking her face, and Danni moaned, leaning up into his touch-trying her best to not disturb the sleeping kitten in her lap.

"By the way, Happy Anniversary, Danni."

Danni grinned. "Is it our anniversary already?" Rubin nodded.

"Yep. Six months ago today, we became lovers, and my life changed for the better."

"Mine too."

Rubin grinned and resumed kissing the woman he loved. "I…need to check on the roast. I'll be back in a minute." Danni nodded.

The roast was ready, and Danni gently nudged Emma off her lap. The kitten gave her a look of haughty pride, and then proceeded to stalk a patch of sunlight that was shining through the window.

Danni licked her lips at the delicious spread in front of her. There was a roast, potatoes, and green peas. "It looks wonderful, love."

"Good, dig in."

Danni grinned. "Don't mind if I do."

After dinner, Rubin looked over at Danni, grinning. "Time for your second present. But you need to close your eyes."

Danni sighed, shutting her eyes, and Rubin placed his gift on her lap. "Okay, open them."

Danni blinked at the small jewelry box, and then opened it up, gasping at the beautiful ring that lay within. "Rubin, it's beautiful!" She looked at it again, then at him, her eyes wide. "Rubin…is this ring what I think it is?"

Rubin smiled mysteriously. "That depends. What do you think it is?"

Danni gulped. "An engagement ring."

Rubin grinned widely. "That's what it is."

Danni gawped at him in joyous shock. "Rubin…are you…" Rubin clasped her hands in his, gazing deeply into her eyes.

"Danielle Morgan, will you marry me?"

Danni nodded, tears of happiness running down her face. "Yeah…yes."

Rubin grinned, and then pulled her to her feet and into a long, passionate kiss. "Good."

Two months later, in a small ceremony at the City Hall attended by Rubin's mother-who had warmed up quite nicely to Danni-Miss Danielle Morgan became Mrs. Danielle Farr. The official that married them later told his colleagues that the kiss was one of the longest and most passionate he had ever seen.

For Rubin, that kiss marked the end of one life and the awakening of another-one that promised to be truly wonderful in every way.

**THE END. **

_**Written for Candace Tackett. *HUGE HUG* **_


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